Palmyra in history and tradition

A memorial lecture for Iain Browning, 1934–2008

Friday 9 October 2009, 18.00
BP Lecture Theatre
Admission free, booking required

In this lecture, Paul Roberts, British Museum, looks at the history of Palmyra’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall against the backdrop of its stunning monuments, and considers the enduring influence of this fabulous desert city. The lecture will be preceded by an appreciation of Iain Browning by his long-standing friend and colleague, Peter Parr, and will be followed by an informal reception.

The oasis city of Palmyra in the Syrian Desert dominated one of the important trade routes that brought silk, spices and other luxury items from the east. Its wealth and power grew so great during the period of the Roman Empire that Palmyra, under its warrior queen Zenobia, challenged Rome itself for control of the east.

Iain Browning was a highly regarded writer on the classical cities of the Near East. His books on Palmyra, Petra, and Jerash and the Decapolis, illustrated with his own beautiful reconstruction drawings and photographs, are standard works, notable both for their scholarly reliability and their accessible and readable text.

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